The session titled “A Look at Arab Media: A Future Perspective,” which took place during the Arab Media Summit 2025, focused on the necessity of advancing the Arab media sector through a comprehensive roadmap emphasizing digital innovation, integration with modern technologies, and intelligent audience engagement. Participants unanimously agreed that the Arab media stands at a historic juncture, poised to shift from traditional methods to a fully integrated industry capable of competing on a global scale, provided that challenges are systematically addressed and well-considered strategies for the future are developed.
In this context, Majid Al Suwaidi, the Director General of Dubai Media City, noted that the media industry has evolved beyond merely transmitting information; it has become a vital sector that intersects deeply with technology. He highlighted that the presence of media companies within an integrated environment of technology and content firms in Dubai Media City accelerates the pace of digital transformation. Al Suwaidi also mentioned that the city offers specialized workshops for media development across various fields and aims to attract global media institutions to operate within a promising open market, particularly in the rapidly expanding sector of digital advertising.
Research Insights
Rashid Al Merri, Director of Research and Media Analysis at the Media Office of the Government of Dubai, revealed potential highlights from the Arab Media Report set to launch tomorrow. This report encompasses studies and global practices that can be effectively adapted in the Arab context, with a specific focus on digital media and the gaming sector. Al Merri emphasized the importance of strengthening the role of official channels and highly trustworthy platforms in building audience confidence. He also urged investments in developing Arabic-language gaming content that positively reflects the region’s identity and culture, suggesting that artificial intelligence could play a key role in enhancing the quality of this content, accelerating its production, and making it more interactive and relevant to the local environment.
Relatedly, Tarek Matar, a partner at &Strategy, stressed that the objective of this media roadmap is to instigate a comprehensive transformation that enables Arab media to compete globally by overcoming challenges such as inadequate funding from the private sector and the imbalance of media skills among Arab nations. He noted that the future of traditional television still maintains its relevance, especially if it evolves into a smart digital product that accurately targets specific audience segments and offers content that aligns with changing viewer behaviors.